Tehran condemns kidnapping Turkish diplomats in Iraq and Washington offers assistance to save them
![Tehran condemns kidnapping Turkish diplomats in Iraq and Washington offers assistance to save them](https://arcellabucket.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media/archive/files/Archive.jpg)
, the capital of Nineveh province, northern Iraq, while the presidency in the United States announced its readiness to support the Turkish government for the release of these diplomats.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman , Mathiya Afkham denounced in a statement seen by "Shafaq News", what it called as "the terrorists practices in Iraq, particularly the occupation of the Turkish Consulate in Mosul and the abduction of its employees," expressing deep concern about this incident.
She called to respect the headquarters of the diplomatic missions, warning of "the repercussions of some countries to support such groups that contribute to the instability of the region."
Fakham declared "firm support of Iran to the Iraqi Government and the Iraqi people in facing terrorism", calling to preserve the unity of the Iraqi people.
For his part, Vice President Joe Biden announced after a telephone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister , Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the United States has called to release of Turkish citizens who were kidnapped from the Turkish consulate in Mosul, "immediately."
According to White House statement seen by "Shafaq News", "the vice president pointed out that the United States condemns the actions of the fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daash), which calls for the return of the Turkish families safely and immediately."
Biden added that Washington supports "the actions taken by the Iraqi and Kurdish security forces to work together to address the threat of Daash."
Biden informed also the Turkish Prime Minister that the United States is "ready to support the action carried out by Turkey for the return of their citizens safely," and " it will remain in close contact with the governments of Turkey and Iraq in order to find a solution to the situation" in Iraq. "
A local source had on Tuesday to “Shafaq News", that “ Turkish Consul , Ozturk Yilmaz has been moved to another place, as 24 people working in the consulate have been taken as hostage by Daash in Mosul.
According to the sources, that talked to “Shafaq News", yesterday, they revealed that “ communications with the Turkish Consul in Mosul have been cut since Tuesday morning and said that a number of employees were inside the consulate building till 11:00 a.m. at local time.
Yilmaz has survived about a month ago from an assassination attempt that was not the first in Mosul city.